1996 Edition

Description

three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined in black in the center of the red band

Location

13 00 N, 105 00 E -- Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand and Vietnam Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than Oklahoma

land area

176,520 sq km

total area

181,040 sq km

Climate

tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

443 km

Environment

current issues

logging activities throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand are resulting in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); deforestation; soil erosion; in rural areas, a majority of the population does not have access to potable water

international agreements

party to - Marine Life Conservation, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Tropical Timber 94

natural hazards

monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts

Geographic coordinates

13 00 N, 105 00 E

Geographic note

a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap

International disputes

offshore islands and sections of the boundary with Vietnam are in dispute; maritime boundary with Vietnam not defined; parts of border with Thailand in dispute; maritime boundary with Thailand not clearly defined

Irrigated land

920 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km

total

2,572 km

Land use

arable land

16%

forest and woodland

76%

meadows and pastures

3%

other

4%

permanent crops

1%

Location

Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand and Vietnam

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential

Terrain

mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north

highest point

Phnum Aoral 1,810 m

lowest point

Gulf of Thailand 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 45% (male 2,505,998; female 2,432,620) 15-64 years: 51% (male 2,579,986; female 3,007,838) 65 years and over: 4% (male 143,759; female 191,017) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

43.5 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

15.78 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4%

Infant mortality rate

107.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Khmer (official), French

Life expectancy at birth

female

51.39 years (1996 est.)

male

48.39 years

total population

49.86 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

female

22%

male

48%

total population

35%

Nationality

adjective

Cambodian

noun

Cambodian(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

10,861,218 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.77% (1996 est.)

Religions

Theravada Buddhism 95%, other 5%

Sex ratio

all ages

0.93 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.86 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

5.81 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

21 provinces (khett, singular and plural); Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Kracheh, Mondol Kiri, Phnum Penh, Pouthisat, Preah Seihanu (Sihanoukville), Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev

note

a new province of Otdar Mean Cheay may have been created from parts of Banteay Mean Cheay and Siem Reab

Capital

Phnom Penh

Constitution

promulgated 21 September 1993

Data code

CB

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

4500 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

chief of mission

Ambassador VAR HUOTH

telephone

[1] (202) 726-7742

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the king

chief of state

King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993) is a constitutional monarch

head of government

power shared between First Prime Minister Prince Norodom RANARIDDH (since NA 1993) and Second Prime Minister HUN SEN (since NA 1993) who were appointed by the king

FAX

[1] (202) 726-8381

[855] (23) 426437

Flag

three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined in black in the center of the red band

Independence

9 November 1949 (from France)

International organization participation

ACCT, AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, ITU, Mekong Group, NAM, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court provided for by the constitution has not yet been established and the future judicial system is yet to be defined by law

Legal system

currently being defined

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

Kingdom of Cambodia

conventional short form

Cambodia

local long form

Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea

local short form

Kampuchea

National Assembly

members elected for five-year terms; elections last held 23 May 1993 (next to be held NA 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) FUNCINPEC 58, CPP 51, Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party 10, Molinaka 1

note

the May 1993 elections were for the Constituent Assembly which became the National Assembly after the new constitution was promulgated in September 1993

National holiday

Independence Day, 9 November 1949

Political parties and leaders

National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC), Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH; Cambodian Pracheachon Party or Cambodian People's Party (CPP), CHEA SIM; Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party, SON SANN faction; Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party, IENG MOULY faction; Democratic Kampuchea (DK, also known as the Khmer Rouge), KHIEU SAMPHAN; Molinaka, PROM NEAKAREACH

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

multiparty liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy established in September 1993

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Kenneth M. QUINN

embassy

27 EO Street 240, Phnom Penh

mailing address

Box P, APO AP 96546

telephone

[855] (23) 426436, 426438

Agriculture

rice, rubber, corn, vegetables

Budget

expenditures

$346 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994 est.)

revenues

$210 million

Currency

1 new riel (CR) = 100 sen

Economic aid

note

IMF pledged $120 million in aid for 1995-98

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

The Cambodian economy - virtually destroyed by decades of war - is slowly recovering. Government leaders are moving toward restoring fiscal and monetary discipline and have established good working relations with international financial institutions. Growth, starting from a low base, has been strong in 1991-95. Despite such positive developments, the reconstruction effort faces many tough challenges because of the persistence of internal political divisions and the related lack of confidence of foreign investors. Rural Cambodia, where 90% of about 9.5 million Khmer live, remains mired in poverty. The almost total lack of basic infrastructure in the countryside will hinder development and will contribute to a growing imbalance in growth between urban and rural areas over the near term. Moreover, the government's lack of experience in administering economic and technical assistance programs and rampant corruption among officials will slow the growth of critical public sector investment. The decline of inflation from the 1992 rate of more than 50% is one of the bright spots.

Electricity

capacity

40,000 kW

consumption per capita

14 kWh (1993)

production

160 million kWh

Exchange rates

riels (CR) per US$1 - 2,585 (December 1994), 2,470 (December 1993), 2,800 (September 1992), 500 (December 1991), 560 (1990)

Exports

$240.7 million (1995 est.)

commodities

timber, rubber, soybeans, sesame

partners

Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia

External debt

$383 million to OECD members (1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

52%

industry

13.5%

services

34.5% (1993)

GDP per capita

$660 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

6.7% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

key transshipment country for Golden Triangle heroin en route to West; possibly becoming money-laundering center; high-level narcotics-related corruption in government, military, and police; possible small-scale opium, heroin, and amphetamine production; large producer of cannabis

Imports

$630.5 million (1995 est.)

commodities

cigarettes, construction materials, petroleum products, machinery, motor vehicles

partners

Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia

Industrial production growth rate

7.9% (1993 est.)

Industries

rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6% (1995 est.)

Labor force

2.5 million to 3 million

by occupation

agriculture 80% (1988 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $85 million, 1.4% of GDP (1995)

Khmer Royal Armed Forces (KRAF)

created in 1993 by the merger of the Cambodian People's Armed Forces and the two noncommunist resistance armies; note - the KRAF is also known as the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

2,336,606

males fit for military service

1,302,234

males reach military age (18) annually

79,514 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Resistance forces

National Army of Democratic Kampuchea (Khmer Rouge)

Telephone system

service barely adequate for government requirements and virtually nonexistent for general public

domestic

NA

international

landline international service limited to Vietnam and other adjacent countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region)

Telephones

7,000 (1981 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1986 est.)

Televisions

70,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

14

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

2

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

2

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

2

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

7 (1995 est.)

Heliports

2 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

3,000 km

total

34,100 km

unpaved

31,100 km (1994 est.)

Merchant marine

total

5 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 17,451 GRT/18,280 DWT (1995 est.)

Ports

Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville), Kampot, Krong Kaoh Kong, Phnom Penh

Railways

narrow gauge

603 km 1.000-m gauge

total

603 km

Waterways

3,700 km navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m; 282 km navigable to craft drawing 1.8 m